Hello readers! I’m eager
for ya’ll to continue to learn more about my week’s adventures in Monteverde-
Wednesday, May 27th I woke up early for a 5
a.m. run down the mountain. Because it was somewhat gloomy and rainy, there
wasn’t a clear sunrise, but, around 5:30, the sun simmered through the clouds
and crossed over the peaks of the highlands- it was amazing. When I got back to
the house, my mama Tica had breakfast ready- freshly handmade corn tortillas,
eggs with cabbage and onions, gallo pinto, fresh fruit and hot coffee. Since
class didn’t start until 9:45, Kim and I started walking to CPI around 8:30- a
nice little trek up the mountain. We stopped at the panderia bakery and treated
ourselves to yummy pastries- scrumptious chocolate croissants. We had class with
MSU until 12:00, but during that time, we all collectively discussed our plan
for what English lesson to teach the students at Los Llanos Primary School the
following morning. Our consensus was to make giant paper strips of sentences
structured like: “this is the classroom,” or “this is the girl’s bathroom,” and
place them around the school, showing the students the location of the strips,
demonstrating the significance through action and movement. We were all curious
to see if this method of instruction would be effective to the kids the next
day. Spanish class was tough to sit through for 4 hours because the class is largely
based on conversation, thus, it was difficult to participate at a constant
rate. Also, in addition, the professor gave us extra grammar, vocabulary and
composition practice, which made it more arduous. With the amount of Spanish
I’ve absorbed, I’ve been persistently thinking and dreaming in the language,
which is crazy! Latin dance class started later that evening, and it was such a
blast! We learned how to salsa, merengue and Costa Rica’s most famous, “Cumbia.”
The Cumbia dance is a tropical rhythmic dance that incorporates complex
spinning and fancy steps. The part I enjoyed most was laughing at myself
because all of these dances involve a great deal of hip movement, with smooth
and quick footwork. Let’s just say I put in the effort, but the hand-eye coordination
was lacking! The night ended perfectly as I split a pizza with my host family while
laughing and sharing stories with one another.
Thursday, May 28th, our group went to Los
Llanos Primary School, but, we didn’t get to test out the lesson we planned in
class yesterday. Instead, we observed the teacher’s lesson plan for the
morning, as well as, his methods of instruction. He incorporated a story from
the children’s workbook about an “hormiga” (ant). Surprisingly, I was able to
understand the story, and help a student named Alex with the comprehension
questions. I also noticed in the classroom that most of the students were attentive and well-prepared to learn. Although
English wasn’t allowed in the classroom, it gave me a chance to practice more
of my Spanish. Once we said goodbye to the kids, I acknowledged the fact that my
passion to become an educator has definitively grown. Through this experience,
I hope to keep students interested and amused with what they’re studying and
learning in the classroom. Moreover, helping at the primary school left me with
the feeling of appreciation and optimism for children who have the opportunity
to pursue their education.
Friday, May 29th, we went to Los Llanos
Primary School again. The best part of going was that our group got to clean up
the school playground. For about two hours, we removed piles of wood, sharp
metal objects, cement blocks, trash, and other miscellaneous things. We also
planted a garden of small flowers and took away the roots in the ground. Also,
we made an obstacle course with the tires, a ladder and the cement blocks. During
the kids recess, it was so cool to see the kids playing on the new and improved
playground. This opportunity made me really happy and it felt great to do something
meaningful for both the school and the students. In the evening, after Spanish
class, my mama Tica served me a generous portion of vegetarian casado- rice,
beans, avocado, plantains, salad and pineapple juice.
The end of the week came
quickly, but I am ready for a fun weekend in Arenal and La Fortuna!
Thanks for tuning in
everyone,
Pura Vida!
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